Community Broadband/Digital Equity Committee

Mission: Explore innovative strategies, deployments, broadband adoption initiatives, digital literacy strategies, business models and financing mechanisms for community wireless and wireline broadband projects that could serve as examples to other communities. Spearhead the nomination process and make recommendations to the board for annual Community Broadband Awards. Provide expertise, leadership, and guidance to the membership, board and staff on how to best represent the membership regarding community broadband and digital equity related policy and strategies.

Objectives:

  • Inform NATOA members of key developments in community broadband and digital equity.

  • Engage more NATOA members in the committee.

  • Conduct Community Broadband and Digital Equity Awards nomination and selection process.

  • Identify practical annual conference and e-NATOA topics for practitioners.

Accomplishments from 2023 Committee Report:

  • Held monthly meetings to discuss current topics in community broadband, increasing monthly attendance.

  • Discussed local government role in emerging Federal broadband programs, namely, ACP, BEAD and Broadband DATA mapping.

  • Instituted new ‘Local CBDE Project of the Month” featuring discussion from members about local projects, including San Francisco affordable housing broadband project, Michigan legislative reforms, Austin/Travis County digital equity strategic planning and Carroll County Maryland broadband mapping.

  • Successfully completed Community Broadband and Digital Equity Award selection process

Interested in joining? If you are seeking an opportunity to amplify your voice and are  passionate about community broadband and digital equity, we encourage you to join our committee! 

Join us!

CBDE Committee

  • Khotan Harmon
    Khotan Harmon
    Acting TARA Manager City of Austin, TX (512)968-3023
    Co-Chair
  • Rebecca Gibbons
    Rebecca Gibbons
    Digital Equity Strategic Initiatives Division Manager City of Portland, OR (503)823-5515
    Co-Chair

Community Broadband/Digital Equity Committee

  • Rebecca Gibbons
    Rebecca Gibbons
    Digital Equity Strategic Initiatives Division Manager City of Portland, OR (503)823-5515
    Co-Chair
  • Khotan Harmon
    Khotan Harmon
    Acting TARA Manager City of Austin, TX (512)968-3023
    Co-Chair
  • Richard Assmus
    Richard Assmus
    Community Connectivity Manager City of Arvada, CO (720)898-7523
    Member
  • James Baller
    James Baller
    Partner Keller & Heckman, LLP (202)434-4175
    Member
  • Todd Barnes
    Todd Barnes
    Communications Director City of Thornton, CO (303)538-7279
    Member
  • Pam Berrian
    Member
  • Erin Cochran
    Department Analyst II, Digital Marin County of Marin, CA (415)473-2624
    Member
  • Daniel S. Cohen
    Daniel S. Cohen
    Attorney Cohen Law Group (412)447-0130
    Member
  • Brenda Cooper
    Chief Information Officer (425)587-3050
    Member
  • Reba Crocker
    Reba Crocker
    CEO ROW Consultants LLC (503)724-0766
    Member
  • John Davis
    John Davis
    Cable Administrator Baltimore County, MD (410)887-2095
    Member
  • Vishnupriya Desai
    Baltimore County, MD
    Member
  • Gabriel Garcia
    Gabriel Garcia
    Director & Senior Counsel CPS Energy (210)353-2033
    Member
  • Thaddeus Girard
    Administrator Metropolitan Area Communications Commission, OR +15039569721
    Member
  • Rondella Marie Hawkins
    Rondella Marie Hawkins
    Director City of Austin, TX (512)974-2422
    Member
  • Mary Beth Henry
    (503)449-7281
    Member
  • Joanne S. Hovis
    Joanne S. Hovis
    President CTC Technology & Energy (301)933-1488
    Member
  • Dylan Huber-Heidorn
    City of Eugene, OR
    Member
  • Jai Kalayil
    Deputy Commissioner City Of Chicago, IL (312)744-3570
    Member
  • Gail A. Karish
    Gail A. Karish
    Partner Best Best & Krieger LLP 213-605-1603
    Member
  • Ji Sook Kim
    Cable Television Administrator (808)586-2620
    Member
  • Reymon Lachaux
    Digital Equity Manager City & County of San Francisco, CA (628)652-5814
    Member
  • Jeffrey P Lueders
    Jeffrey P Lueders
    MCO Division Manager City of Tacoma, WA (253)591-5727
    Member
  • Liza Massey
    Liza Massey
    CIO County of Marin, CA 4153427318
    Member
  • Sean McLaughlin
    Assistant City Attorney City of Lenexa, KS (913)477-7624
    Member
  • Christopher Mitchell
    Director Institute for Local Self Reliance (612)276-3456x209
    Member
  • Jon Morrison Winters
    Jon Morrison Winters
    Digital Equity Program and Broadband Manager City of Seattle, WA (206)684-0498
    Member
  • Catherine Nicolaou
    Broadband Program Manager City of Albuquerque, NM
    Member
  • Barry Orton
    Barry Orton
    Professor University of Wisconsin - Madison (608)347-1970
    Member
  • Smruti Radkar
    Attorney Advisor (202)442-4110
    Member
  • Mike Reardon
    Retired Cable Communications Officer City of St. Paul, MN (952)898-9722
    Member
  • Brian Roberts
    Brian Roberts
    Policy Analyst City & County of San Francisco, CA (628)652-5161
    Member
  • Jay Runte
    Jay Runte
    Broadband and Telecommunications Manager. City of Eugene, OR (541)682-5590
    Member
  • Carol Shawver
    Cable Administrator Carroll County, MD (410)386-2095
    Member
  • Sean A. Stokes, Esq.
    Sean A. Stokes, Esq.
    Partner Keller & Heckman, LLP (202)434-4193
    Member
  • John Uebel
    Carroll County, MD (410)386-2309
    Member
  • Michael J. Watza
    Michael J. Watza
    Senior Principal Kitch Attorneys and Counselors (313)965-7983
    Member